Of Gods and Legends
by The Sleeping Library
Summary: The League is the ruling body of Runeterra, and their Champions-Men, women and creatures with powers equal to or of gods themselves-are their sentinels. But when all of that falls apart, who would prevail in a war where every hero has an equal, every being of infinite power a match?


Prelude: Well Laid Plans

Noxus had always been a place of power. Power was everything there, giving meaning to pitiful lives and establishing the order of things. No one with power could survive, and the weak were weeded out in a constant stream of blood. It had always been this way. Yet over the past few years, Noxus had grown weak. Not through any fault of its own, however. It was like a wild beast chained up and fist fed: Complacency was inevitable, and it was a sweet prison that the once powerful city state was sliding into.

And that was unforgivable.

Darius felt his heavy boot steps shake the stone floor as he moved down the hall. Several guards stood at attention as he passed, paying their respects to their commander. His stone hewn face was set in an almost eternal scowl; his short military cropped black hair was slicked back in order to keep it out of his face. His red, black and gunmetal grey armor clanked with every step he took towards the Grand General's meeting hall. His massive battle axe was strapped to his back, ready at a moment's notice. In a city built upon the strong, it was never a good idea to look weak. He reached the massive iron double doors that led into the meeting hall and pushed his way inside.

"Here he is," A rasping voice said.

"General," Darius growled. The man seated on the large stone chair was probably the last anyone would believe to be current leader of the Noxian military, a weathered man that obviously had seen hard times. Yet the intelligence and raw magical power the man held… even Darius had respect for the man.

Swain nodded appreciatively. "Take a seat, Darius. We have much to discuss."

Darius took in the darkened room. He easily recognized the other faces around the room. At the back was a figure in a hooded blue cloak adorned with blades. Talon was an accomplished assassin, able to slip into the most guarded of places unseen only to appear, kill his target, and vanish just as quickly. Despite the young man's obvious skill, Darius held no high regard for him other than his skill with a blade. He never liked assassins much. Speaking of assassins, he noticed the Du Couteau sisters seated in the middle of the room. Katarina, the older of the two, was a fiery redhead in a form fitting leather outfit was emphasized her… other strengths. Her green eyes regarded him for a moment, the scar over one eye giving her a sort of feral beauty. Her sister, on the other hand, had lost most of her attractiveness. Cassiopeia had the upper body of a woman yet the lower half of a snake, which fit her, Darius thought. Her face still retained the resemblance of her family, yet the fangs, claws, and serpentine eyes had stripped her of ther formerly legendary beauty.

The last was a figure Darius had never met. He racked his brains for the man's name for he knew he had recognized him from somewhere. Not from any league match, he was sure. He may kill a lot of people, but killing the same people over and over got their faces engraved into his mind pretty easily. The man was pale skinned, with tribal looking tattoos across his skin. At first, he was admiring the stonework of the wall. He glanced over, grinning toothily as the Hand of Noxus looked at him. Darius turned away with a derisive snort and sat down heavily. Swain cleared his throat, his pet raven Beatrice flying down from the rafters to land beside her master.

"I called you all here for one particular reason," Swain began, speaking slowly as though considering every word. "I would like to ask you: What do you think of the League?"

Frowns crossed everyone's faces except for the unknown man. His insufferable grin persisted despite the topic at hand. After a long moment, it was Katarina who spoke. "What exactly do you mean, Swain?"

"You are all aware of the magic that sustains us, correct?" Swain continued. "The magic of the league sustains us and prolongs our lifespans for as long as we remain part of their contract. As long as the League exists, we will continue to fight our staged battles on the Rift. Noxus will be forced to stagnate."

"And what do you suggest we do?" Cassiopeia asked, hissing lightly. "Because of the magic the League placed on us, we cannot do anything to the High Summoners."

Swain nodded knowingly. "I am well aware. Therefore, we would need either someone within the League with unimaginable power, or—

"Someone with magic to rival the League outside of it," The unknown man said giddily, unable to contain his excitement. His sudden outburst brought everyone's attention to him.

"Who the hell is this?" Katarina demanded.

"Everyone," Swain said with a sigh, "I would like you to meet a… loan from the Black Roses."

A shiver ran through the room at the mention of Noxus's oldest and most influential shadow groups. "A loan from Leblanc?" Cassiopeia murmured, surprised.

"My name is Thanatos, for all intents and purposes," The man said, wild grin never leaving his face. Darius was reminded of Shaco, the League's resident jester, and probably the most sadistic murderer in all of Runeterra.

"You plan to have him do what we cannot," Talon surmised.

"I want to know where your loyalties lie," Swain said. "I need to know that you bleed for Noxus. That if we went to war again, you would be there on the battlefield ready to die for your city state."

There was silence in the room. After a long moment, Darius spoke. "War? With Demacia?" He asked quietly.

Swain rose. At his full height, he was almost as tall as Darius with his armor on. Beatrice flew up to perch on his shoulder. "We crush anyone who stands in the way of a supreme Noxus."

For one of the few times in his life of battle and bloodletting, Darius genuinely felt happy. After killing his foes time and time again on the Rift, it would be good to feel the finality of killing someone and not seeing them again minutes later. He could probably equate what he felt to excitement. He stood and saluted his General, slamming his fist against his breastplate. "You have my axe, Swain."

Talon sighed. He sent a pointed look towards Katarina. As he was technically under the Du Couteau family, he would follow any order the current head of the family gave. In this instance, it came down to Katarina's word. The red haired killer seemed to be giving it a lot of thought. After what seemed like ages, she finally spoke up. "Very well. Knowing you, you've put a lot of thought into it." He glared up at him. "The Du Couteau's will give Noxus their all."

-x-

Zaun had never been one of Quinn's favorite places to go to. The city was dark, overcast with smoke, dank, and dreary. "And they call this place the City of Privileges?" She muttered, tucking an errant strand of dark red hair behind her ear. She moved quickly down a side street, ducking out of view of any passerby. In a city this permeated by hextech there were plenty of places to hide. She whistled softly, and an elegant blue Demacian eagle glided down to her, alighting gently on her arm. After a few loving pets and strokes, the eagle cawed once.

"I don't want to stay here much longer either," Quinn agreed, continuing to pet her eagle. "But we have a mission, Valor."

Valor squawked indignantly, turning his head away. Quinn sighed. "Look, once we see what this new tech Viktor is showcasing, we can leave and make a full report."

Her partner made an irritated sound, but conceded to his mistress. "Watch out for that cloud, alright?"

Valor screeched back, taking off back into the sky. As long as he stayed out of sight, no one would notice the Demacian Eagle. "Back to hoofing it," Quinn muttered.

As one of Demacia's best scouts, it was no surprise Quinn had been selected to infiltrate Zaun. People like Lux could have probably done it, but only Quinn and Valor were skilled enough to pull it off without the Lady of Luminosity's help. She slipped back out of the alley, blending into the crowd of Zaunites. Just for this mission, she had changed out of her usual Demacian uniform, instead deigning to put on a flashy, and somewhat revealing outfit more native to Zaun. As used to Demacian modesty, the outfit was uncomfortable. Valor had had quite a laugh at her when she put it on.

"Hey, did you hear?" An excited Zaunite nearby was saying, "They say Viktor is presenting something outside of his lab!"

Quinn's ears picked up on that. Viktor was up to something? That was never a good sign. Ever since the Glorious Evolution project had begun, Viktor had begun pumping out his mechanized monstrosities, oddly enough modeled after the Void creatures. And now something else was coming out of that lab? She had to see.

She slid into a moving crowd and rode the flow towards Viktor's laboratory. It was a massive structure filled to the brim with hextech and devices Quinn couldn't even understand. Mechanized soldiers patrolled its perimeter, and who knows what kind of traps Viktor had set up in there? The only person to even breach those walls and come back out was Jayce, and he had nearly died in the attempt. No, she was more comfortable staying outside. She spotted Valor alighting on the edge of a building, within range to come to her aid if need be. "Good boy," She whispered, smiling.

Suddenly, the great doors of Viktor's lab opened, and out strode the Creator himself. According to what she knew, Viktor had once been human. But now, he had replaced the majority of his body with cybernetics, becoming the Machine Herald in truth. His face was an impassive mask of steel, his eyes two glowing red orbs, his voice a vocal emitter, and his body metal from head to toe. He was draped in some sort of metallic/cloth cloak that was as black as the atmosphere he radiated. _This_ was Zaun's 'progress' Quinn thought. Probably something only a Noxian or Zaunite could enjoy. "Welcome!" Viktor's voice boomed out of several speakers arrayed around the square. His trademark staff bearing his Hex Core glowed brightly. "My fellow Zaunites. I still wish for you to join the Glorious Evolution, but today, I bring a different invention to share with you all!"

Murmurs of confusion rippled through the crowd. Quinn pressed forward, trying to get a better view of the stage. She managed to get to a spot where she could sit above the crowd, still hidden in a small alcove. Viktor was pacing back and forth, scanning the crowd with mechanical consistency. After letting this information sink in, he turned slightly. "I present to you my latest invention—The Phoenix Core!"

He flung his arm out in a flourish, directing everyone's attention to a young girl, no more than seventeen, being escorted out by a pair or robot guards. To Quinn's surprise, she was still human. She had reddish blonde hair, a thin build, and her green eyes showed her fear. The girl was shoved over to stand beside Viktor. "Who the hell is that?" someone in the crowd asked.

"This is my dear Fiona," Viktor said. "The bearer of the Phoenix Core. I wouldn't be able to demonstrate its ability without her."

Viktor hooked the end of his staff into the top of Fiona's thin dress, pulling it down. A reddish circle was outlined on top of her sternum, with a birdlike symbol in the center. Caught off guard, the girl tried to cover herself, but in her panic, the dress tore. A bit of laughter went through the crowd. Quinn bit down on her bottom lip, willing herself to not move. She could feel Valor watching her, waiting for a command of any kind. "So what does this thing do?" Another Zaunite asked.

If Viktor could smile, he probably would have at that moment. "I'm glad you asked. Watch closely." He grabbed Fiona roughly and raised her up. The girl seemed to have an idea of what was about to happen and tried to struggle a bit. However, she was too weak compared to the metal man. "Behold the power of the Phoenix Core!"

The mechanical arm attached to Viktor's back shot over and behind Fiona. The claws closed up into a deadly spike, and lanced forward. It burst through the girl's chest with a spurt of blood and a pained scream from Fiona. Quinn almost lost her lunch, covering her mouth with her hand just as the crowd below recoiled in shock. Viktor had always been a cold hearted bastard, but murder in cold blood? The Machine Herald dropped the girl's corpse to the floor, letting it slump in a pitiful heap. The crowd was stunned. "By the light…" Quinn murmured, slumping back in her hiding spot. She had seen plenty of men die; such was the nature of the cold war between Demacia and Noxus. But this… was…

What?

A soft reddish light enveloped Fiona's body. Then, she began to groan, then whimper, and then scream. A spasm wracked her body, and then suddenly the wound in her chest healed at an impossible rate. A moment later, she was back on her knees, no worse for wear except for the bloody hole in her clothing. "Whenever Fiona would die, the Phoenix Core will return her body to the point when it was placed in her," Viktor explained. "Even if she ages, grows old, and dies, she will reincarnate back to this appearance and form. I have achieved immortality!"

Another murmur traveled through the crowd. Suddenly, one Zaunite came forward. "So no matter how she dies, she will return to looking like that?"

"…Would you like to try?" Viktor offered.

That set the crowd off. Quinn could do nothing but watch as Fiona was killed, over and over again by excited Zaunites who saw it only as playing with a new toy. Quinn was forced to look away, feeling like she was going to be sick. As she moved to leave her spot, she noticed something strange.

Someone was waving. Not just waving, but waving at _her._ They wanted her attention, and now they had it. Suddenly, a canister of blue energy slid across the ground, bouncing up onto the stage. "What—"

The canister exploded, freezing the area in time. Quinn saw Fiona had been just inches away from having her neck almost twisted off by a hextech-enhanced goon. As she watched, a young boy with white hair spiked into a mohawk dashed into the sphere of frozen time. He rushed over to Fiona, lifted her into his arms, and sprinted out of the crush of people. "Ekko," Quinn breathed, recognizing the boy from the Rift. Suddenly, the time sphere faded away. Everyone in the crowd looked confused, while Viktor sounded enraged.

"You!" He roared mechanically, his third arm swiveling around to fire a beam of pure energy at the fleeing Ekko. He ducked under it without looking, diving aside as Viktor tried to lock him in a gravity field. It looked practiced, and almost staged. The Machine Herald was furious. "Release the Machine Hunters!"

Quinn ducked out of her spot to chase after Ekko. The Hunters were Viktor's mechanical constructs, modeled after the void creatures from the League. Ekko was going to need help. She whistled sharply, and Valor was at her side in an instant. "Find Ekko, Val! Quickly!"

Val screeched back, flying up higher to spot the Boy who Shattered Time. It wasn't long before Val cawed out a warning to Quinn. He was close. She pulled out her hand crossbow from her backpack and readied a bolt. She rounded a corner and came face to face with Ekko. "You—!"

"Wait a second, will ya?" Ekko snapped. Fiona was behind him, vainly trying to rub dried blood off of herself. "We don't have a lot of time."

"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed back. "Viktor sent out the Hunters!"

"I know," Ekko muttered. He yanked on the cord attached to the large canister on his back, revving up the machine inside of it. "It took almost thirty tries to get this far, not counting the six I had to use to get your attention."

"Wait, what?"

"Move now, explanations later. Come on!" He ran forward, grabbing Fiona's hand to pull her along. Quinn had no choice but to follow. The three of them darted down streets, Ekko leading the way. "Quinn, where's the bird?" Ekko asked suddenly.

Quinn didn't have to look up. "Valor is right above us."

"He better come down. Right now."

"…Fine." Quinn figured it was better to just follow his orders. She whistled sharply, motioning to her partner to come down. Valor did so swiftly, and a moment later a massive floating machine began to float by. A solitary eye was set into a metallic carapace, and several tentacles flowed back and forth as it searched.

"Hide!" Ekko hissed. They ducked into a store as the eye swiveled down, narrowly missing the four of them. Red light filtered down the street, scanning back and forth while they crouched inside the silent store. After what seemed like eternity, it looked away, going back to its patrol route. They let out a collective breath of relief. "We gotta get her out of the city," Ekko said as they resumed moving. He kept them moving in the darker portions of the city, taking twists and turns as if on a whim.

"Where are we going to go?" Quinn asked. Valor was aching to take flight again, but with that tentacle searchlight looking for them, they couldn't risk it.

"You have to take her and get out of Zaun," Ekko said. They had reached city limits, and Quinn could almost hear the sirens going off.

"What about you?"

"I've gotten good at vanishing if I need to," He assured her. He turned to Fiona. "Go with her, alright?"

The girl nodded slowly, going over and standing beside Quinn. The scout frowned. "And where should I be taking her, exactly?"

"I don't know," Ekko said, "Piltover or something? I hate entrusting this sort of thing to Pilties, but I kinda have no choice."

Quinn sighed. "Fine. Don't get yourself caught, got it?"

Ekko revved his Z-drive again. He smiled. "Try not to worry too much, huh Eagle Eye?"

He ran off, leaving a stunned Quinn in his wake. He did remember to glance back in order to see the slight blush on her cheeks. As well she should; he had said that line almost twenty different ways before he got a reaction from her.

-x-

Azir glanced up from the map of his city to see a familiar creature enter the throne room. "Skarner," He said, greeting the crystal scorpion with fondness. He and the massive scorpion had shared many conversations during the latter's stay in Shurima. The self-proclaimed Emperor of Shurima considered him a friend.

"Azir," Skarner replied curtly. His tone tipped Azir off to something being amiss. He straightened up, red ribbons trailing off of his golden armor. Azir was an Ascended, a being of immense power blessed by the Shuriman Sun Disc. His head was more avian than human, although he still remained bipedal.

"Is something the matter?" Azir asked, moving over. The light from the massive Sun Disc in the center of the city reflected off the many edges of the crystal scorpion.

"Have you not felt it?" Skarner murmured. "The constant rumblings and the whispers…"

"Is it the Xer'Sai?" Tales of the sand-beasts terrorizing his people had not gone unnoticed. However, with their Void Queen Rek'Sai leading them, there was not much Azir could do.

"No. But it is related to them."

Azir's features fell into what could be considered a frown. "…Malzahar's visions?"

"In that, you would be correct, Emperor of Shurima." A distorted voice said. Azir turned to see a robed figure with a breathing apparatus enter the room, floating on violet energies. Azir recognized him immediately.

"Kassadin," He said in surprise.

Kassadin nodded. "And if Malzahar's visions are coming true, we will need to unite all of Runeterra in order to face this threat.

"Can it not be stopped?" Azir asked, although he knew it was a forgone conclusion. Not even the might of the Sun Disc could save them from the terrors of the Void. Even his powers as an Ascended would be stretched to the limit. If only there were more worthy individuals that could Ascend…

"What should we do?" Skarner asked.

"Hope the League can bring our bickering brothers and sisters together in time," Kassadin said gravely. "For if we do not…"

"Then all will be lost," Azir finished.


End file.
